Do you enjoy a little sweetness after every meal? Do you find it impossible to enjoy your morning beverage without adding a dash of sugar? As much as we like the delicious crystals in our tea or morning cup of coffee that improve our mood and chase away the blues, consuming too much sugar can lead to weight gain and serious lifestyle disorders. As a result, it's critical to make informed decisions and choose healthy sweets and sugars.
Although sugar has a poor reputation for being a highly processed food item, you can find healthier variants to help you monitor how much you eat. Quite difficult to believe? You can pick from a variety of sugars that are healthier and more pure than ordinary refined white sugar. But keep this in mind: you should only eat small amounts of sugar of any kind.
Coconut Or Palm Sugar
An all-natural and healthy sweetener. The sugar is extracted from the coconut palm tree's flower buds, and it tastes somewhat like caramel. It may be used in a variety of ways in everyday cooking. Another factor contributing to its popularity among health-conscious consumers is its low fructose and low glycemic index.
Date Sugar
This form of sugar is the richest in antioxidants, having a higher content than almost a dozen other compounds. It is made from dried, crushed dates. It also has a decent potassium content as it is derived from dates, according to Healthline, making it an excellent substitute for sugar.
However, it still includes fructose, making it unsuitable for people attempting to maintain a healthy blood sugar level. Maintaining a low blood sugar level isn't only for diabetics; it's an essential indicator that everyone should be aware of.
Unrefined Sugar
Sugar is vilified as a 'bad' element since it consists entirely of empty calories. This is because during processing, all the natural nutrients are removed, and additional chemicals are employed to eliminate contaminants.
Raw and unprocessed sugar, on the other hand, preserves natural nutrients like iron and magnesium and is thus a preferable choice. This golden-coloured natural granulated sugar tastes almost like honey and is devoid of chemicals and pesticides.
Demerara Sugar
A type of natural brown sugar called demerara is light brown, has big grains, is chunky and unprocessed and still contains some molasses. Made from the first crystallisation of cane juice into sugar crystals, it is partly processed. Its inherent caramel-like taste gives the meals their flavour. Additionally, Demerara Sugar is flavoured with cinnamon, various spices, and the flavour of fine vanilla beans.
Sulphur-Free Organic White Sugar
To purge sugar crystals of contaminants, sulphur is used in most sugar production facilities. Because of this, small amounts of sulphur are retained in the sugar crystals, which over time may pose health risks, according to Dr. SC Ray, an eminent sugar expert on eHealth Magazine (sulphur is detrimental to the body when it is transformed into sulphur dioxide). sulphur-free sugar fills that need. The sweetness of sugar is retained in sulphur-free sugar, but the negative effects of sulphur are eliminated.